A Tale of Two Jenny's
by Almaria
Summary: There's a new boy in town. There's a blonde thinking deep thoughts. And all is not what it seems...
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: So another story. Not sure of the rating for the moment, however this chapter is merely suggestive so I might just leave it at T for the moment. If you think otherwise let me know!_

_Also, if you can, listen to "Mama Do" by Pixie Lott when reading this chapter. You should be able to find it on Youtube very easy!_

**Narrators Soliloquy**

The trouble with sunset was not that it signalled the beginning of night, or the fact that night necessitated the use of lights (a trait that had electricity conservationists everywhere throwing tantrums of epic proportions). Nor was it the fact that it allowed all those _scary_ little things, bats and bogey-men and owls and, err, some of L.A.'s rather _unique_ individuals, to roam happily on the streets.

No, the trouble with sunset was rather that it created a paradoxical amalgamation of two seemingly dissimilar, yet thoroughly symbiotic _endings_ to daytime, and it was this deceptively innocuous peculiarity that left one Jennifer Thornton in a rather _dire_ predicament of sorts. Oh _sure_ Jenny loved sunsets, who didn't? They were just so _pretty; _the last rays of the sun blending and weaving, to create sweet mishmashes of pastel hued colours.

It screamed "_pretty_", it screamed "_look at me_", and Jenny did unerringly, every evening, from the top of Vista Hill; Sometimes with company, but mostly alone.

Lately however, Jenny had been having thoughts.

Strange thoughts.

Thoughts that made her question the very meaning of her _existence_ on earth....

Ok, perhaps not as dramatic as that, our Jenny is blonde, so we'll keep the thoughts blonde-appropriate for the moment - but deep thoughts none the less.

She found herself questioning her fondness for sunset. Sometimes it felt like she liked it purely for its looks, and then she felt ashamed. Other times she felt she liked it because the end to a day, bought about the chance to dream, perchance to sleep*. Other times still, Jenny liked it because it was the end to another gosh-darned –boring-as-hell day, and there was one less thing to now worry about and so on, so forth.

It is this perplexing patchwork of thoughts that begins our story.

While the sun beams its fond farewell to the city of Los Angeles, whilst the earth spins gently round and round, while Jenny lies on the bonnet of her car and chews her lips in intense concentration, a moving van is depositing its final packages on Elm Street and roaring off into the sunset.

Starting (purely by accident) a chain of events, which was to result in Jenny Thornton thinking far deeper thoughts than she ever deemed possible.

**Chapter the One: Bubblegum**

As the last of the sun dipped languorously into the ocean, overhead Venus and Jupiter twinkled into life. Jenny watched as they sparkled away, glimmering their secret messages to world below. She stared wide-eyed and silent, lost in an intense train of thought, oblivious to the compromising position of her fellow sunset watchers.

Night set in, in earnest and the soft evening breeze cooled itself in response. Goosebumps rose on Jenny's arms as the newly chilled breeze snaked itself through her light pull-over, caressing her skin with finger-tips of ice. When the activity in the neighbouring car resulted in a high-pitched squeal and a blast of the horn, Jenny felt it time to leave. After rapping on her neighbours' window and yelling that a motel would be more comfortable, she sat herself into her vintage yellow Volkswagen Beetle, and drove home.

Jenny lived in a large ranch-style house on Elm Street, situated in the leafy suburbs of Vista Grande. Designed by her pernickety mother and paid for by her long-suffering father, the bungalow had four bedrooms, three and a half baths and a swimming pool. It currently housed Jenny, her parents, her little brother Joey and Sheridan, the ghost. While no one had actually seen Sheridan, Joey was convinced he existed and forcibly insisted that the guest room be renamed Sheridan's room.

The fact, Joey insisted, that Sheridan had yet to behave like a regular poltergeist, reaffirmed the necessity to keep him happy. Jenny had lately taken to patting Joey intermittently on the head and speaking to him in loud clear tones.

Parking her car in behind her fathers, Jenny was walking to her front door when she first noticed the lights in the house across the street. Quirking an eyebrow she entered her house to the strains of Mozart's 5th symphony. Her mother, it seemed, was entertaining the neighbours again.

Grabbing a glass of milk and chocolate cookie from the kitchen, Jenny poked her head into the living room, saying a quick hello to her parents, Mr and Mrs Redmond, and Mr and Mrs Smith.

"Jenny _darling_, glad you're home, have you heard the exciting gossip yet?!"

Fighting the urge to state the obvious and say "_No, because I'm just home, duh_", Jenny responded with a simple "No" and another quirked eyebrow.

"Oh well!" her mother trilled conspiratorially, as Mozart's symphony reached its scherzo, "We have new neighbours! Isn't that exciting!?"

The statement was decidedly undramatic, and Jenny fought the urge to bang her head of the door-frame. There was a momentary pause in which Jenny struggled to say something, while the room stared back at her.

Finally she choked out a "Sooo exciting! So, so exciting.... that I... well I just have to call Tom and let him know!"

"You do that darling", her mother said, "Tell Tom we all say hello and to drop by soon. It's been far too long since I saw his handsome face!"

Jenny bared her teeth in what she hoped resembled a smile, and made her way to her bedroom yakking silently to herself. Someone needed to take the evening dose of brandy away from her mother, but somehow whenever Jenny hid a bottle, another one magically sprang up to take its place. Jenny strongly suspected her father, particularly after he broke a priceless Mojave vase, but nothing had been proven to date. She was however, in the midst of purchasing a ready assembled, home "Eye-Spy" kit in an attempt to thwart the cease-less supplying brandy-fairy.

After losing half of her cookie to her glass of milk, and cursing at the floating chocolate chips at the bottom of her glass, Jenny rang Tom.

"_Heyyyyy shnookums_" she trilled when Tom picked up, she was her mother's daughter after all, it was to be expected.

"S'up Thorns? Enjoy the sunset today?"

"Mediocre at best," Jenny said, "Yesterdays was better."

"Jenny you didn't see the sunset yesterday, you were too busy grop- Oh..."

"Yes."

"Oh!"

"Yes."

"Can I come over?"

"Can't, half the street's in my living room, discussing the new neighbours."

"You have new neighbours?"

"Yes, it's very exciting."

"Err..."

"Go with it Tom."

"Well, yeah, that's yeah.... that's exciting."

"Nah, too hard, you killed it."

"Sorry."

"It's k."

"Sure I can't come over?"

"Mmmm...., eh what the hell, my mother should be drunk enough soon, and dad's too happy when that happens to care about anything. Just come around back."

"Tiighhtt, see you in 2 Thorns."

The phone clicked before Jenny could say bye. _Eager, _she thought, _maybe tonight then...._

The story of Tom and Jenny was rumoured as being one of those long-winded fated-to-be-together-since-they-were-born type affairs. Rumours no doubt started and fanned by a particular brandy-loving individual, but there was again, no proof. In actual fact however, Tom and Jenny had gotten together well after birth, when Tom was eight, and Jenny seven. At first it was all sunshine and puppies, and kisses with dandelions.

When puberty hit and hormones raged, it changed to smoking hot kisses, without tongue, then with tongue, then with tongue and hickeys.

Lately though, Jenny wondered if Tom had actually hit puberty or not. Although they made out a lot, and Tom liked to grip her thighs and her waist, they still hadn't _officially_ reached second base. This was in direct contrast to all normal teenage boy urges that she had ever read about in the classic Mills & Boon. Also, from what Jenny had heard tell from Audrey, her European "educated" friend, in several instances that she had experienced, first base was actually second base et etc. She had then attempted to persuade Jenny to dump Tom, whilst simultaneously promoting the wonders of fur trimmed negligees.

A few weeks back Tom and Jenny had been "watching" the sunset together quite vigorously. After some intense sun-gazing, Tom's hands had drifted ever so slightly upwards, and grazed the underwire of her bra. Jenny had felt a strange rush of apprehension and intrigue at this surprisingly new development.

Was this right?

Was it too soon??

Was she ready?? ?

What would her mother say????

Fearing she knew exactly what her mother would say, particularly with one or two brandies on her, Jenny threw caution to the wind and waited for Tom to move on up.

He didn't though.

A week later he still hadn't.

Two weeks....

Three weeks.

In the fifth week Jenny started to wonder whether there was something wrong with her. In the sixth week she shrugged it off and thought there was something wrong with Tom.

And now there was tonight.

Slipping into something more "comfortable", (Audrey's advice having been firmly adhered too) Jenny propped her window open, and arranged herself on her bed: On the side, facing the window, one leg bent, arms propping head up. She hoped what little cleavage she had was prominent. At ten minutes to ten, Tom jumped through her window. Hair all windswept, shirt buttons partially undone and lascivious smirk in place.

Jenny's first thought was that he better put that smirk into use.

Her second was to say hello.

"Hi" she said quietly,

"Hi back."

From then on it was a tangle of limbs and tongues as Jenny not so subtly dragged Tom to her bed. They made out heavily for approximately ten minutes before Jenny felt Tom's hand slowly drag upwards, graze the underwire of her bra, and.....

Stop.

She decided to give him a minute....

Nothing.

"Ugh, GOSH DARN it Tom" she yelled, sitting up quickly and throwing Tom off her bed. "GET OUT!"

There was a rather embarrassing pause in which Tom, still adjusting himself to the fact that Jenny was no longer underneath him, tried to catch up with the pace of the evening.

"What?"

"You heard me, GET OUT."

"But.....Why?"

"Because I said so," Jenny hissed, "Get Out and go figure out what's wrong with you! Go on, SCOOT."

Tom stared for a moment then made his slow confused way on out, "Geez PMS much Jenny?"

"OUT" she yelled again, willing him to go before she did something drastic.

"GONE, I'm gone, relax MANIAC" Tom yelled as the last of his legs disappeared from her window sill.

"Ass-hat" Jenny mumbled.

Down the hall, something went thump in the guest bedroom. It appeared Sheridan agreed with her.

At ten minutes to twelve, after an hour of trying to sleep, Jenny was still wide awake and currently, _thoroughly_ pissed off. Whatever else was to be said about 18 year old boys, surely, _surely_ they were supposed to be curious? Willing to explore? Like, seriously, where would America be if Columbus had decided not to set sail because he was too chicken-shit to explore? Or worse yet, if Columbus had stopped right at the edge of America, bobbing away in his little boat but never going any further.

This led Jenny to think that maybe she should buy Tom a compass or better yet, an anatomical chart (with instructions).

And it was curious, but Jenny had a memory of what exploring felt like. She remembered the feeling, had flashing images of the intoxicating rush, felt the burn of the heat…. which was entirely preposterous because she had never actually experienced anything like that yet. Who knows, perhaps she had been a harlot in her previous life.

Letting out an indignant sigh, she flipped her side lamp on and stared at the wall. She sent a rude text to Tom and then painted her toe-nails bubble-gum pink. If she was being pedantic, she could say she painted her toenails in Rimmel, No. 23, Cupcake Frosting. But the colour currently being spread looked more like Pepto-Bismol then frosting, so she settled for bubble-gum.

At ten minutes to one, Jenny was still awake, still thoroughly pissed and now thoroughly tired. The smell of her nail-polish was also making her gag a little.

It was going to be a long night.

_A/N: My most sincere apologies to blondes everywhere. Yes I am thoroughly type-casting in this chapter and it's all in name of artistic expression, I do not believe in any such type-casting myself at all._

_Next chapter introduces our very own Julian, fondly known as Ju Ju. If you review, Ju Ju will kidnap you and make you face your worst nightmares in an attempt to woo you._

_*This is a shakespearean quote, and yes I've turned it on it's head. I'm probably being cursed from the grave as I type._


	2. Chapter 2

**Mea Culpa**

Hello all!! So this isn't a chapter as you can see, rather it's my issuance of a mea culpa. The second chapter was supposed to go up roughly a week and a half after the first. It's all planned out; from what happens in the start, to how it ends. In actual fact the entire story has been planned out.

Theoretically this is fantastic.

Unfortunately that is where it remains...theoretical......

While the chapter sounds all great in my head, I've had trouble translating it into written word, partly due to stress, work and what I'm attributing to S.A.D. ...

BUT, fret not, I am away on holidays from next week, 3 weeks with no work/laptop and hopefully, hopefully will be back to myself afterwards.

In the mean time, as there's not going to be another chapter for at least 3 weeks, I decided to write up an interview with our favourite little shadow man...

_**Julian:**_ Who exactly are you calling "little"?

_**Almaria:**_ Juju! There are you are!!

_**Julian:**_ I 've also asked you not to call me that, I'm a **S_hadow Man_**, you can't call me by a pet name.

_**Almaria:**_ I think you'll find Juju that I can.

_**Julian:**_ How? You have no power, **I** am a **S_hadow Man._**

_**Almaria** (staring sceptically): _Eh, because I'm the one that's writing this....

_**Julian:**_ "....."

_**Almaria** (smirks evilly)._

_**Julian:**_ "....whatever...."

_**Almaria **(Pushing glasses up her nose and attempting to look business-y): _ So Juju...

_**Julian:** (winces)_

_**Almaria** (continuing):_ I have been told by some of our readers that after they reviewed, you failed to kidnap them. Is this true?

_J**ulian** (rolling his eyes): _ Yes, so?

_**Almaria:**_ Well surely that's a breach of promise

_**Julian:**_ I think you'll find_ I_ promised nothing. That was all you...

_**Almaria:** _"..."

_**Julian** (smirks evilly, flashing devilishly delicious canines. Turns to the readers and smirks some more.)_ :

What you didn't think my canines were good looking? I am a _**Shadow Man**_**,** every part of me is hot....

_**Almaria** (looking at readers in a way that can only be described as "askance")_ Stop distracting them Juju.

(L_ooks back at Juju)_ Incidentally, why do you keep doing that?

_**Julian:** _Doing what?

_**Almaria:**_ Booming the words **Shadow Man**. We've all read the books, we kinda know...

_**Julian: **_ Because, I am a _**Shadow Man.**_

_**Almaria** (snorts): _ Please, that only works if you're Chuck Bass.

_**Juju: **_ Who?

_**Almaria:**_ Chuck Bass, you know gossip girl....

_**Juju:**_ Who?

_**Almaria:** _Chuck Bass...dude than kinda pouts and glowers at the camera. Keeps saying "I am Chuck Bass..."

_**Juju** (glowering and pouting):_ He sounds like a bit of a tool...What kind of a name is "Chuck" anyway?

_**Almaria:**_ What kind of a name is Juju?

_**Juju** (looks confused, then stares at screen): _What the hell, when did you change my name?

_**Almaria:**_ Few lines up...

_**Juju** (glowers menacingly at Almaria)_

_**Almaria: **_ Please, that only works on a particular blonde....

_**Juju: **_ As I told the blonde once, don't mess with me.... I can make your worst nightmares come true...

_**Almaria: **(grinning widely): _ _Really?!!!...._ I mean, oooh big _scary _shadow man, are you going to kidnap me now???!!

_ (Looks expectantly at Juju)_

_**Juju: ** (stares at Almaria, then looks at readers): _ Err...yes?

_**Almaria:**_ HOT SAUCE THAT'S AWESOME!!!! I mean.....err.... oh NO....big scary shadow man....I'll do anything if you don't kidnap me....

(_bats eyelashes at Juju)_

_**Juju** (looking slightly mystified): _"....?"

_**Almaria:** (Jumps up from chair and sticks blonde wig on her head. Turns to Juju): _Why me? Why are you doing this to me???

(_bats eyelashes again)_

_**Juju: **(still looking mystified, with a slight tinge of horror)_

_**Almaria:** (Sidles up to Juju and stage-whispers): _Your line is: Because I fell in love with you....

_**Juju: **(looks at readers): _Any idea what's going on with crazy here?

_(Points at Almaria and makes crazy sign with his hand.)_

_**Almaria:**_ Seriously, it's all here, look; _(pulls crumpled copy of Forbidden Game out of her jeans pocket. Flicks to relevant page.)_

See right there. Jenny says in her whole "woe is me, I just got kidnapped by a ridiculously hot guy voice", _Why me? why are you doing this to me?,_

Then you reply, with blazing eyes and honeyed voice- or something equally nauseating- _Because. I fell in love with you. Surprised? You shouldn't be._

_**Juju** (staring at Almaria with a look of abject terror on his face):_

S..s..someone wrote a book about me? How did they.... Who did they....Are they watching me right now?.....

_(Stares nervously around the room. Twitches once or twice.)_

_**Almaria:**_ "..........WTF?"

_**Juju: ** (looks pensive. A series of emotions flashing across his smooth chiselled features.):_

I mean, if they were writing a book about me, the least they could have done is let me know. Asked my permission somewhat, you know, cut me in on a bit of the profits.

The good ol' ching ching. But this, this is just wrong man. I got rights too you know, I'm a man too –

_**Almaria:**_ I thought you were a **Shadow-man....**

_**Juju: ** (continuing with his soliloquy and flashing Almaria the bird): _

If you cut me, I bleed. I ain't no different. I got rights. I am a **Shadow-man **after all –

_**Almaria:**_ There we go...

_**Juju: **_ -I'm gonna go and find this... _(looks at book cover)..._ this L.J. Smith person and make him pay.

_**Almaria:**_ It's a her.

_**Juju: **_ Whatever. I'm gonna go and make my money the best way I know how.

_**Almaria: ** (eyes widening in surprise):_ What? Working street corners?

_**Juju:**_ What?

_**Almaria:**_ You _just_ said, and I quote, "I'm gonna go and make my money the best way I know how."

_**Juju: **_ Yes, that's all well and good. But what the devil does it have to do with street corners?

_**Almaria:**_ Hey, it's easy money. I won't judge you.

_**Juju: ** (Staring at Almaria, a look of concern on his perfectly chiselled features. His sea blue eyes are as clear as a summers day. _

_ If one looks close enough, a cluster of cumulus clouds can be seen in the corner.)_

I really worry about you sometimes. I'm not going to pimp myself on a street corner, I-

_**Almaria:**_ I'll be your pimp.

_**Juju: ** (gritting his teeth and continuing)_: -I am going to trek down this woman, kidnap her and make her face her worst nightmares, until I get my money.

I'm gonna walk right up to her and say, SHOW ME THE MONEEYYYYY.

_**Almaria: ** (Blinks.)_

_**Juju: ** (looks at Almaria expectantly):_ Good plan or what!!

_**Almaria: ** (Scratches her nose. Blinks again.)_

_**Juju: ** _Well.... Answer me.

_**Almaria: **_ You're going to kidnap her, and make her face her worst nightmares.

_**Juju: **_ Yes.

_**Almaria:** _After you got my hopes up, you're going to run off to somebody else.

_**Juju:**_ "....?"

_**Almaria:**_ What am I to you, just a _plaything_? Something you can throw away once you get tired of it? Well I'm sick of it. I'm done, **it's over**.

_ Go_, go chase after her. But before you go you should know one thing. She's never gonna love you like I do. No one ever will. You just lost the best thing you ever had.

Have a good life, I hope she makes you happy.

_ (Cries into a pink hankie.)_

_**Juju:**_ You know, I'm the youngest in a line of a murdering, pillaging and all around sociopathic race, and yet somehow, _you_ manage to make _them_ look sane.

I have to admit, I'm speechless, that's....well that's quite an achievement.

_**Almaria: ** (looks up furiously):_ You think I'm crazy?

_**Juju: **_ In a word. Yes.

_**Almaria: **(smiling viciously):_ Baby you ain't seen nothin' yet. You think this is crazy? I'll show you crazy.

_**Juju: ** (rolling his eyes):_ Oooohh, I'm scared.

_(Winks at readers)_

_**Almaria: ** (widens her vicious grin):_ You should be. Next chapter's gonna have you rocking up in a pink t-shirt, and cream chinos.

_**Juju: ** (whips head around to look at Almaria):_ No....

_**Almaria:**_ Yes. And sailor shoes.

_**Juju:**_ You wouldn't dare.

_**Almaria: **_ Wouldn't I?

_**Juju:** (stares speechlessly at Almaria.)_

_**Almaria: ** (grins victoriously): _That's right bitch. I _own_ you.

_**Juju: **(Stares pleadingly at readers):_ Help?

_**Almaria:**_ Save it Juju-bean, you broke your promise to them, they won't help you now.

_**Readers: ** (quirking eyebrows at Almaria):_ Yeah, wouldn't be so sure about that... You haven't updated in zoinks. Oooh look something shiny.

_**Almaria: ** (looks at where readers are pointing)_

_**Readers: ** (Grab Juju and disappear)_

_**Almaria:**_ Son of a crap-smucking douchebag. I fall for that _everytime_........

_(Waves hand menacingly at the air):_ En garde Juju, till next time.

* * *

Hee!!Anyway's will try get the other chapter up soon enough....In the mean time enjoy! Let me know if you want more Juju one-on-ones!!!


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N:_ _Howdy all!! See here I am!!, Ok so I'll grovel a bit for forgiveness at the end, but in the mean time read, read! Bring a fan or two.... ;)_

* * *

There were candles.

Burning.

Flames in the dark.

Hundreds and thousands just burning –

_Like fire_ - flickering, dancing.

Shadows on the wall.

Twisting and beating; flicker and flame – _and fire_ – faster and faster.

Flame, flicker, flame, flicker, flame – like a drum.

Like her heart.

Thump, thump, thump, _thump,_

flicker, flame, flicker, flicker, flicker .

_More. _

_Faster._

Flicker.

Thump, thump, thump, _thump._

She was surrounded by silk and satin and _flesh_. Hard and hot and –

_heat like fire_-

unyielding, pressing in. Smooth, slippery, enveloping, suffocating, _binding_ – like the silk that bound her hands; Like the hands wound round her waist. In her hair. On her hips.

_More. _

Pressing, stroking, stroking and pressing till there was nothing but –

_Touches like moth's wing_-

Caresses'-

_Whisper soft, like spider-webs, Incy wincy Spid-_

And the silk.

Writhing, she was writhing and twisting. Hard to breathe. Hard to think, something to remember. Remember… Who she was.

She was,

She was,

She was _burning._

Pressures mounting, thump, thump, thump, sweat, silk, fire, HEAT. Don't stop, don-

* * *

The thing about morning is that it wakes you up from sleep. It's annoying like that. Just like alarms, annoying little devils them. Mrs. Thornton had once banned alarms from the house, relying instead on her superior internal clock. Jenny arrived to school in time for lunch during that week, until a strongly worded note home from the principal made Mrs. Thornton realise that perhaps, just perhaps, her brandy night-caps were affecting her time-keeping abilities. It was a tossup at that time between no brandy, or no alarms, which is why at 7.05 am, on Tuesday morning, an alarm was brightly singing.

_Beep-beep-beep. _

_Beep-beep-beep. _

_Beep-beep-beep._

_Beep-beep-be-._

* * *

It was not going to be a good day. There were a number of factors supporting this statement. Blood-shot eyes. Throbbing head-ache. Pulling a jumper on her feet instead of tights…and the fact that her body was still flushed and strung tighter than a Stradivarius.

Sigh.

But even life as a violin would be preferable. What she wouldn't give to be played like a violin…strummed like a guitar…fiddled like a fiddle….plucked like a -

_Gosh darn it, snap out of it Thornton._

Mentally slapping herself, Jenny finally pulled her jumper on in its correct position over her head, and proceeded to the kitchen. Her jumper was red and didn't match her pink nails, but she just didn't care. That's how bad she was feeling. Life was losing all meaning. So much so, that important things were getting lost in the maelstrom that was her lust-riddled mind. And it was utterly preposterous, but _oh_, that dream…it left her mouth dry; made her skin pulse and her nerves tingle. And there was that faint _something_ about it…sharpness…a sort of blurry- sharpness. Vivid, but hazy. Like it was something she knew - a memory. Pre-recognition - either that or Jenny was spending far too much time with a certain flame-haired harlot.

Still. It was educational at least…

The rest of the Thornton's were eating breakfast in the kitchen when Jenny trudged in. Flipping Sheridan the bird and patting Joey on the head, Jenny bee-lined towards the coffee-machine. Espresso with a double-shot of espresso? Just what the doctor ordered. Her mother was standing at the counter next to the machine, sipping from a large floral patterned mug.

Curious, Jenny thought, there was no steam rising from the coffee…

Mrs. Thornton smiled widely and winked.

Jenny quirked her eyebrow and Sheridan shot her a pointed look from across the room. "Ah" Jenny thought.

Time enough to deal with that later though. Instead she poured coffee into her pink polka dot travel mug, stared at the clock, then sighed miserably at her red jumper. Even her travel-cup was clashing… And people said the life of a teenager was hassle-free.

Rolling her eyes to heaven and asking for strength, Jenny took a large gulp of the scalding liquid. She was in the process of swallowing when her father spoke.

"Everything all right Jenny? You look a little…frustrated?"

She nearly spewed her coffee all over the counter.

Sheridan guffawed loudly in the corner, winking suggestively at Jenny as she tried to compose herself.

She flipped him off again and eyed her father speculatively. He was peering at her over the International Times, all side-parted hair and neatly-trimmed beard.

_Well Dad_, Jenny thought, _I've been trying to fool around with my boyfriend for the past while. Ya Tom, you know, the all American reject, and trying seems to be the operative word here, because he has the sexual ability of Hugh Hefner without Viagra. Shocking I know. To make matters worse I've been dreaming of smutting it out with some faceless stranger, who had me bound up and helpless last night – what can I say, my subconscious likes it kinky- and it was totally smoking hot, only I woke up before we reached…the crescendo so to speak, so I am totally and utterly sexually** f**__**rustrated**__ – but that's all, nothing to worry about daddy-darling. Hey wanna have Tommy over for dinner?!_

Instead Jenny smiled, sipped her coffee and said, "Womanly troubles daddy, you know."

"Ah" Mr. Thornton said, blanching and disappearing behind the paper.

Smirking, Jenny gathered her book bag and bade a fond (and totally contrived) farewell to her family. She passed the living room on her way out, eyed the brandy-cabinet, weighed up the pros and cons of a few drops in her coffee, then sighing melodramatically made her alcohol-free way to school.

She was 100% certain she was going to regret it.

* * *

The drive to school was uneventful. She may, just possibly, have reversed into her mother's potted begonias on the way out… But hey, at least it wasn't a person right!

Unlike that last time…

All was quiet over at the new neighbours too, which meant that: A) they were not morning people, or B) they were vampires. Jenny went with option B. It just seemed more plausible.

She was depositing books in her locker when the over-powering scent of Chanel No. 5 nearly rendered her unconscious.

"Holy mother of kittens Audrey, did you empty an entire bottle on yourself?" she said, slamming the locker shut and covering her nose with her arm.

"Whatever Jenny, just cause y-"

There was a pause; a very long and pregnant pause. …..

"What?" Jenny said finally.

"Your jumper is red", Audrey stated, and Jenny sighed, knowing where this was going.

"Yes, and?"

There was a slight edge to the end of her voice that would have made normal people run in terror. It was unsurprising therefore, when Audrey continued regardless.

"_And_ your nails are pink. What did you get dressed in the dark?"

"Shut-up Audrey, besides, why are _you_ masquerading a belt as a skirt?"

"_Darling_ this is au courant. No need to disrespect just because you dress like a tree-hugging hippie."

"Did you just say "disrespect"?"

"Yes…"

"Hang out with Mike again last night did you?"

"Fo shizzle."

"Uh huh…"

Jenny's head pounded. Out of all of her friends, Mike was definitely…special, which in itself was saying something. He liked re-inventing himself. His parents had divorced when he was young, and a childhood of trampy mothers and missing dad's all played a part in raising the fine, happy-go-lucky man that Michael had become. Just because he currently believed he had ghetto roots did not mean he had any issues. None what so ever. Although his recent habit of saying "dawg" after every sentence was beginning to grate a little….

Jenny's head pounded again, painfully.

"Anyway", Audrey continued, "Before you blinded me with that heinous excuse for clothing, I came to ask you if you'd heard the exciting news!?"

"Yes" Jenny sighed, "I have, they're my new neighbours after all."

Audrey blinked. "You have new neighbours?"

"Who has new neighbours?" Summer asked, bouncing up before Jenny could reply.

"Jenny does, apparently"

"Oh", Summer replied.

"Yes" Jenny said, "It's very exciting."

"erm…"

"Well, I mean, they're vampires."

There was an awkward silence and Jenny's head pounded- again. "Ok whatever, and if it wasn't my new neighbours, what was your news?!" she scowled at Audrey.

"Oh, we have a new student! And apparently he's like totally _fly dawg_! Like way hot!!! According to Susie Byerson he's a male model from New York. His parents have just transferred to Los Angeles."

"Hmmm" Jenny said non-commitedly, as they made their way to homeroom. Hot was good and all, but there was something about male-models… they were just…conniving…or something. Like all their looks and muscle-y pecs was hiding something. Something secret. She didn't trust them one bit.

"Aren't male models like dumb?!" Summer giggled, twirling her hair around her fingers.

"Well then you should get along great with him Summer" Audrey joked, and Jenny hid her smirk.

Summer Parker Pearson was blonde, blue-eyed and had developed her, err…assets when she was eleven years old. It was widely known that Summer's favourite colour was pink, that she liked ponies, and thought that Shakespeare was like a really good rapper, or whatever.

It was also a total lie.

Summer was in fact a child-genius, boasting a 4.0 GPA, having passed college-level classes and was currently studying advanced chemistry after school on Tuesdays. She was also captain of the cheer-leading team. Go figure.

"I guess!" Summer giggled, fluttering her eyelashes innocently, "Ohmygosh-I-totally-heard-this-like-way-awesome-song-this-morning! It's like, erm, ya, You're my hunny-bunch, sugar-plum, plumpy-umpy up-kins, you're my sweetie-pieee."

The singing continued down the hall, alternating with Summer skipping, twirling and asking if she had lipstick on her teeth. They passed Tom's locker too, and Jenny's head thumped even harder than before.

Why couldn't things just ever be simple?

* * *

Jenny had a very productive morning. She couldn't tell you what classes she was in, or what was being taught, but she could tell you how she was going to overcome the Tommy problem. She had come up with a plan.

A genius plan.

A stroke of brilliance, if you will. It was going to fix Tom, and all his, well, problems, there-by fixing all of her problems (the hormone fuelled ones anyway). It was called "The mis-education of Thomas Yorke, to make better sexing for Jenny", otherwise known as "The _Plan._" It was deliciously wicked, thoroughly corrupt and had Jenny's already raging libido worked up into quite the frenzy.

This resulted in an even more frustrated Jenny walking into the cafeteria for lunch.

Tom, Audrey, Mike, Dee and her cousin Zach, were already seated at their table when Jenny made it over with her lunch tray. Setting her mac-n-cheese and green apple on the table, she sat next to Tom and gave him an exaggerated kiss as a hello.

"S'up Thorns", he said warily, which was understandable seeing as she'd kicked him from her room last night.

But bygones and all. And besides, she could afford to be nice now. Now that she had "The _Plan." _She snuggled into his side, took a massive spoonful of her lunch, and gave him another cheesy kiss.

"Nothing much!" she said cheerily, "same old, same old!"

_Nahahah_ , her inner-Tramp said, _Nothing but my nefarious plan to steal you from your virtue. Nahahahhaa. _

Shut-up, Jenny's inner - Priss said. We are not stealing his virtue; we're merely broadening his horizons.

_Whatever you say sweet-cheeks, but an onions an onion, no matter which way you look at it._

Oh please, the day I take lessons in reality from you, is the day I let Jenny decide that pink is a good hair colour. Now I'm eating, go away.

_Sure, sure, I'll leave; I've got more important things to do than watch you salivate over cheese. Like replaying that dream from last night…_

Shut-up, Priss squealed, We can't think of that now! Bad things will happen!

_Oh baby,_ Tramp moaned, _remember the heat? And there was oil too, you betcha, rubbed all over your- _

Not listening, not listening, not listening, na na na na, singing the national anthem now, "Oohh say can you see..."

A high pitched giggle broke Jenny from her inner monologue. Summer was meandering her way to their table, leading someone behind her. She stopped with a bounce and a flip of curly hair.

"Hey guys!" she said, "I know I'm late for lunch, but oh-my-gosh-the-most-amazing-thing-happened!"

"Ya?" Dee said one eyebrow raised.

"Ya, oh-my-gosh. So, I like ran into the new guy, you know and he was like all alone so I thought why not invite him for lunch, and so I did, and well everyone, let me introduce you to Julian Diaz!" She gestured at the person behind her with a large "ta-da" movement.

Smirking, Jenny looked up, and all at once Tramp was back in action.

_Holy schnitzel-sticks Thornton. Holy. Schnitzels. Are you seeing that, are you? Oh lordy, lordy, lordy. Need. Them. Hands. On. Me. Now. Move Thornton, move now. Jump, launch yourself. Lick his God-damned neck. Someone get a fan over here stat, it's bout to get steammmy. Oh Lordy, lordy lordy, I'm bout to have me a heart-attack. Call 911!_

Tramp died and went to heaven when Julian spoke.

"Hi", he said, lifting a hand to the group.

There was a moment in which Jenny blanked, and before she knew it, her right hand was in Julian's shaking it vigorously up and down. Jenny looked at their hands, at the table, and back at their hands.

Tramp was running in circles up in heaven, _Ok now Thornton, 1, 2, 3, put that hand on your ass!!!_

Jenny immediately sent Priss to gag her, and clearing her throat, offered Julian a shaky hello. "Welcome…to the table…and erm, L.A. and lunch, yes welcome to lunch!" and gosh darn it she really needed to stop talking now.

Stop shaking his hand too! Priss screamed.

"So ya" she said, finally dropping his head and flopping into her chair. Her legs felt like jelly.

Dear god what was wrong with her?

Smiling bemusedly, Julian sank into the chair opposite her. _So graceful_, Jenny thought sighing.

The rest of lunch passed in a blur of randy thoughts and stern talking too's. There was some unabashed ogling too, and it was bad because Tom was right beside her. Had his arm around her shoulder, but dear God Julian bought a whole new meaning to the words Four Alarm Chilli. And mamma-mia, make her up a taco full of that and she'd happily abstain from meat for the rest of her life. He was just….wow. All chiselled jaws and full, plump lips and aquiline nose. And that hair…oh that hair. Ice-white and silky. It was sex hair. It was sinful hair. Bad hair.

Jenny wanted to spank it.

But it was the eyes that really got her. Made her want to melt into goo and drip all over the floor.

Blue.

Electric, sparkling, deviant blue.

Like the sky at dawn, or the sea on a summers day.

Blue.

Endless, torturous, heart-stopping blue.

And all the chemicals in her body were screaming at once: this is it, this is it. _This_ is what you have been waiting for. Go too, go too! And reality was beginning to get blurred, and all Jenny could see was her wrapped around him, under him, over him and -

It wasn't until the apple spun across the table, that Jenny realised she had been spinning it in her hands for most of the lunch. Julian stopped it with the pad of his thumb.

"Sorry" Jenny said sheepishly.

"No problem" Julian replied, "You going to eat it?"

_I'd eat you_, Jenny thought, stopping herself in time to say "No" out loud.

"You mind?" he said lifting the apple and pointing at himself.

"Not at all," Jenny replied.

Smiling he lifted the apple to hit mouth and bit.

Time stopped.

All Jenny could see was his hands, his lips and her apple. Everything else disappeared, faded into the background. There was just Julian and her apple, and her eyes on his mouth. She watched how his teeth ripped into the skin, and dug into the flesh. Watched his lips wrap around the skin, soft and plump, and pull. Watched the juice as it trailed across his lips, grazing his teeth and dripping on to his tongue. Drop, by drop, by drop. One escaped, curving around his bottom lip and rushing to meet his chin. His tongue slipped out to lap it up, and Jenny gasped out loud. Time rushed back in and Jenny's eyes flew from his mouth to his eyes. He was watching her with a knowing look on his face, blue eyes flashing, and Jenny was lost.

She was – she didn't- cafeteria – but she was drowning in the blue, and she couldn't think, and she needed to escape. Land – she needed land –

Tom shook her, and stifling a shriek, Jenny whirled and looked into his eyes, his hazel eyes. Green flecked with warm brown, just like the earth. Like land, her anchor. Shaking herself, Jenny focused on Tom for the rest of lunch, and ran to her class as soon as the bell rang.

She knew she should have taken that brandy.

* * *

Jenny wondered what was wrong with her for the rest of the day. It wasn't until later that evening, after dinner with the family, the Jenny realised what it was: Frustration, pure and simple. All this dreaming and yearning for weeks on end had frazzled her nerves. Made her go slightly cuckoo, and fantasise about whatever hot piece of ass was closest. It was therefore, even more imperative now that "The _Plan_" get set into motion. After all, it was for Tom's benefit anyway.

Well, mostly.

After long discussions on the phone with Dee, Summer and Audrey, Jenny had a guide-line for enacting the plan, starting from lunchtime tomorrow. Within one week, she'd have a new and improved Tom and they'd be back on track as being the most shit-awesomely hot couple ever. Forget Julian and his deviant apple-foreplay, it was just her and Tom. Forever and ever, Amen,

Having missed out on sunset during her evil-plotting, Jenny focused on getting some study in. She had just finished her homework when her mother knocked on her door.

"Jenny darling, just going to drop some pie over to the neighbours, a welcome to the neighbourhood present, from us."

Jenny quirked her eyebrows, it was more of a lets-suss-out-the-neighbours-and-be-the-first-with-gossip type present.

"Why don't you come over with me?!"

Jenny shrugged her shoulders and went. Like mother like daughter, after all. And besides, she could scope out whether they were vampires or not.

Wrapping the pie in aluminium foil, Jenny and Mrs. Thornton made their way across the street. Light was flooding out of the living room window, the faint sound of guns firing echoing on the porch. Whoever was watching TV liked it loud! Jenny pressed the door-bell and waited. The noise from the TV lowered and presently the door was answered.

"Hellooo!" Mrs. Thornton trilled. "We're you're neighbours, and we just wanted to pop over and say a _big_ welcome! We bought some pie!"

"Thanks, why don't you come on in? My parents are just in the kitchen."

Mrs. Thornton was over the threshold in a second, walking purposely towards the kitchen. "Helloooo" she trilled again, as she disappeared inside.

Jenny stood frozen at the door, her "welcome" stuck in her throat. Julian was standing in the door, wearing low slung jeans, and a wife-beater.

Tramp chose that moment to break-out from her gag, and started running rampant. Priss was knocked out cold in the corner.

_Oh lordy, lordy, lordy!!!_ Tramp squealed.

Oh. Smuck.

* * *

_A/N: Hee!...so yeah, anyone for green apples?!_

_Lol, so no really I must apologise, just life has a tendancy to escalate at a moments notice and all you can do is hitch a chariot and enjoy the ride you know! But hey look it's a long-ish chapter right!? So, it's a bit of a mea culpa!!!_

_In the meantime, I will be working on another me and Juju out-take!_

_Also, please review! It makes my writing seem like it's not a waste of time!! so please, even if its just to say hi! review, review, review.....!_

_P.S. this may go up to an M rating from the next chapter, not due to any planned explicit events, but just so I dont offend any delicate sensibilities!_

_XX mes amigos!_


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